Hermione shivered against the cold. Outside, on her birthday, waiting for Snape to show up. This was all so very wrong somehow. "I wouldn't have been here last year," her mind told her.
"Miss Granger, I see you made it. A little early, as I have grown to expect from you."
"If I wasn't early, I'd be late," Hermione said, before she could bite down on her tongue.
"A wise enough philosophy," Snape agreed. He gestured for her to sit on the edge of the fountain. She did so, hugging herself against the cold.
"Is there something you wanted to talk about?" Hermione asked. "Please don't say the other night, please don't say the other night," she begged mentally.
"The other night," Snape said, confirming Hermione's worst fear. "What happened that night should not have happened. I must ask you to continue to keep your distance."
"Oh," was all Hermione could manage. "He hates me. There really isn't love," her mind whimpered.
"Will you keep your distance, Miss Granger?"
"Yes," Hermione said quietly, staring down at her feet. "I'm sorry."
"As am I. Now, go to your dormitory before I am forced to take points from you."
Pushing herself to her feet, Hermione walked dejectedly inside, and up to the portrait hole. She gave the password and managed to get into the dormitory without anyone noticing her. Not that they ever had. Staring at her bed with confusion, Hermione wondered when she had learned to walk without even knowing where she meant to go.
"Mrrow?" Crookshanks inquired.
"No, he hates me," Hermione muttered, tears springing up and spilling over before she even knew they were there. Sliding down to sit with her back against the bed, she asked,
"Am I really that bad? No one has ever loved me, no one. I'm not as good as anyone else, am I? Oh, Crookshanks, I wanted to mean something once. Now I don't know what I want. I'm fifteen, and I don't know who I am. I'm all alone, just like always. . . I just hoped that maybe-"
Hermione jerked to her feet and raced for the bathroom. Making it just in time, she vomitted into the toilet. All of her dinner had come up, and she wished she had more to give. Feeling dirty, she grabbed a towel and went to take a shower again. Maybe if she scrubbed hard enough, she would be clean inside too.
"Miss Granger, I see you made it. A little early, as I have grown to expect from you."
"If I wasn't early, I'd be late," Hermione said, before she could bite down on her tongue.
"A wise enough philosophy," Snape agreed. He gestured for her to sit on the edge of the fountain. She did so, hugging herself against the cold.
"Is there something you wanted to talk about?" Hermione asked. "Please don't say the other night, please don't say the other night," she begged mentally.
"The other night," Snape said, confirming Hermione's worst fear. "What happened that night should not have happened. I must ask you to continue to keep your distance."
"Oh," was all Hermione could manage. "He hates me. There really isn't love," her mind whimpered.
"Will you keep your distance, Miss Granger?"
"Yes," Hermione said quietly, staring down at her feet. "I'm sorry."
"As am I. Now, go to your dormitory before I am forced to take points from you."
Pushing herself to her feet, Hermione walked dejectedly inside, and up to the portrait hole. She gave the password and managed to get into the dormitory without anyone noticing her. Not that they ever had. Staring at her bed with confusion, Hermione wondered when she had learned to walk without even knowing where she meant to go.
"Mrrow?" Crookshanks inquired.
"No, he hates me," Hermione muttered, tears springing up and spilling over before she even knew they were there. Sliding down to sit with her back against the bed, she asked,
"Am I really that bad? No one has ever loved me, no one. I'm not as good as anyone else, am I? Oh, Crookshanks, I wanted to mean something once. Now I don't know what I want. I'm fifteen, and I don't know who I am. I'm all alone, just like always. . . I just hoped that maybe-"
Hermione jerked to her feet and raced for the bathroom. Making it just in time, she vomitted into the toilet. All of her dinner had come up, and she wished she had more to give. Feeling dirty, she grabbed a towel and went to take a shower again. Maybe if she scrubbed hard enough, she would be clean inside too.